Is Content the only King?
Posted on August 5, 2008
So here’s my question: Are content and community the only factors that really make a show successful? Should we push quality production to the back burner for the sake of getting the message out?
The digital age is presenting us with more opportunities than ever to create content. We have to do it quick and we have to do it often. Get a camera, get some software, and put something up. Can’t really hear it? Oh well, content is king. Lighting too dark? Oh well, content is king. Shooting in your bedroom? Oh well, content is king.
To those of us who are professionals in the tv or radio fields, we’re both cheering and cringing. I love the fact that more talented people can get their content to more people than ever. I love that there are so many niches and that I can find exactly what I want and filter out the rest. I’m ecstatic that there are myriad opportunities for people to share their information, their passions, their loves and their opinions. Gary’s right when he says that it’s about community. In fact, without services like Twitter, Seesmic, Plurk, and others, I wouldn’t have some of the wonderful friends I have now.
On the other hand, what of quality? Does a $5000 HD camera, $2000 worth of lights, $1500 microphones, and good technique automatically make for a better quality show? Does a professionally designed site and well developed SEO mean your show will do better than someone else’s? Of course not.
We absolutely should be stressing quality content, but not at the cost of quality video. The opposite of quality content is not quality production. The key is to have a good combination of content and quality. Even on a low budget, this combination can be achieved. Look at successful shows like Tekzilla, TikiBar TV, and Hometown Tales. These are well produced, relatively low budget programs that are produced very well, and showcase the talents and passions of their producers. It can be done.
I see no excuse for poor quality video on the internet. We have the tools to do this well, and most of us are intelligent enough to put out great content with great production values. Remember when podcasting first started? People were putting out crap! As time went on, the cream rose to the top, and the best sounding shows were the most successful. Don’t count quality production values lower than quality content. In my eyes, they are equal. When we all finally realize this, our audience will grow, and video on the web will become truly viable.
*Photo Courtesy Scott Beale / Laughing Squid
Filed Under Ramblings, communication |
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I’m with you 100% as an audio producer. There’s no excuse for not making the same effort with your quality as you do with your content. You don’t have to spend a million dollars or even a thousand, but pay attention to your lighting, turn off the AC while recording and add what you can from there.
Gary’s show would be a fraction of what it is now if it wasn’t visually appealing and sound good. The show isn’t about his camera or microphones, but dammit those matter a whole hell of a lot more than people give them credit for. There’s a reason he doesn’t make WineLibraryTV in the same fashion that he makes his personal videos.
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